Shaft seal with take-up for wear



May 27, 1958 w. DOBLE 2,836,441

SHAFT SEAL wma TAKE-UP FOR WEAR Filed Sept. 28. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EEEN Down 5.

5y ArvoENsys? HZQQ I6, knee/4, .Fs TEQ gHdEEIS SHAFT SEAL WHH TAKE-UP FOR WEAR Warren Doble, North Hollywood, Calif, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Jabsco Pump Company, Eurbank, Calif, a corporation of California Application September 28, 1953, Serial No. 382,715

2 Claims. (Cl. 28-5-1136) The present invention relates in general to shaft seals and a primary object thereof is to provide a shaft seal having means to compensate for wear of the seal and for wear of the shaft to prolong the useful life thereof.

While the shaft seal of the invention may be utilized in any desired installation, it finds particular utility in, and will therefore be considered in connection with, pumps for handling abrasive materials, such as pottery slips, which is a slurry of ground glass, clay, etc. However, it will be understood that such use of the shaft seal of the invention is illustrative only.

Considering the present invention more specifically, an important object thereof is to provide a mounting means for the seal and shaft which permits relative axial movement of the seal and the shaft. Thus, when the shaft becomes worn in the zone of engagement between the shaft and the seal, the seal and shaft may be shifted axially relative to each other to bring the seal into engagement with an unworn zone of the shaft, which is an important feature of the invention.

While wear of the seal itself may be compensated for in accordance with the present invention by substituting a new seal for the worn one whenever an unworn zone of the shaft is brought into operation, another important object of the invention is to provide a shaft seal wherein wear of the seal is automatically compensated for when the seal is shifted axially to bring it into engagement with an unworn zone of the shaft, thus obviating 'any necessity for replacing the seal as frequently.

More particularly, an important object of the invention is to provide the shaft with a conical surface, the seal being shifted to a zone of such conical surface of increased diameter each time an unworn'zone of the conical surface is brought into operation, either by shifting the seal, or the conical shaft surface. With this con- SlIUCilOn, enlargement of the internal diameter of the seal due to wear is automatically compensated for each time an unworn zone of the conical surface of the shaft is brought into operation, which is an important feature.

Another object is to provide a shaft seal wherein the shaft surface engageable by the seal is provided by a replaceable collar or sleeve on the shaft, thereby avoiding wear of the shaft itself. An object in connection with certain embodiments of the invention is to make such sleeve movable axially of the shaft to bring the seal into engagement with an unworn zone of the sleeve.

Another object is to provide a mounting means for the seal which includes a mounting member having a guideway for the seal, an insert member being disposed between the seal and a stop on the mounting member to maintain the seal in engagement with one zone of the shaft. Subsequently, when it is desired to shift the seal to an unworn zone of the shaft, it is merely necessary to remove the insert member to permit the seal to shift into engagement with an unworn zone of the shaft. Preferably, the insert member is a washer and the stop on the atent 2 ice mounting member is an annular shoulder thereon at one end of the guideway for the seal.

Another object is to provide a mounting means which includes a mounting structure and an actuator threadedly engaging the mounting structure and engaging the shaft seal, the seal being axially shiftable upon rotation of one of the components of the assembly by virtue of such threaded connection between the actuator and the mounting structure. With this mounting means, a plurality of zones of the shaft may be utilized, which is an important feature.

The foregoing objects, advantages and features of the present invention, together with various other objects, advantages and features thereof which will become apparent, may be attained with the exemplary embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail hereinafter. Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a pump incorporating one embodiment of the shaft seal of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional yiew on an enlarged scale which duplicates a portion of Fig. 1 of the drawings and which shows the seal shifted axially into engagement with an unworn zone of the shaft of the pump;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pump incorporating another embodiment of the shaft seal of the invention; and

Fig. :4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pump incorporating still another embodiment of the shaft seal of the invention. 7 7

Referring first to Fig. l of the drawings, illustrated therein is a pump 10 having a shaft 11 which extends into an impeller chamber 12 in a housing 13 of the pump, the shaft 11 having fixed thereon an impeller 14 which is of rubber or rubber-like material in the particular construction illustrated.

The housing 13 serves as a mounting member for a shaft seal indicated generally by the numeral 18, the shaft seal being disposed in a guideway 19 formed in the housing coaxially with the shaft. The shaft seal 18 per se is conventional and includes a retainer assembly 20 for a lip seal or seal element 21, the lip seal being biased into sealing engagement with the shaft by a garter spring 22. The retainer assembly 20 is axially shiftable in the guideway 19, being sealed relative to the housing 13 by an O-ring 25. The shaft seal 18 is normally maintained in the position shown in Fig. l of the drawings by an.

insert member, shown as a washer 26, disposed between the shaft seal and a stop, shown as an annular shoulder 27, on the housing 13.at one end of the guideway.

In operation, particularly where the pump 10 is handling abrasive materials, the shaft 11 will wear in the zone of engagement between the shaft and the lip seal 21, such wear producing a groove 29 in the shaft, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Also, some wear of the lip seal 21 itself may occur. When such wear becomes excessive so that the shaft seal 18 tends to leak, the washer 26 may be removed, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to permit axial shifting of the shaft seal 18 so as to bring the lip seal 21 into engagement with an unworn zone of the shaft. If appreciable wear of the lip seal 21 has occurred, it, or the entire shaft seal 18, may be replaced at the same time. However, this frequently is not necessary. Thus, it will be apparent that, by making the shaft seal 18 axially shiftable, the service life of the pump 10 is materially increased, which is an important feature. It will be understood that, instead of one washer 26, several washers may be used, such washers being removed one at a time to permit a plurality of zones of the shaft to be utilized.

Referring now to Fig. 3 'of the drawings, illustrated therein is a'pump'which is generally similar to the'pump of'Fig. 1 of the drawings, identical reference numerals 7 being. applied. ln fiigud of.the.drawings, .the. shaftrll is provided with a conical surface 31,. suchrionicalsurface- .5' .preferably,,being,,provided.by.;a collar l2...whic i is repla eably, fixed .011. the shaftllwsorthatit mayberemoved and replaced. .by san'other Icollar when worn; out.

Engageablewiththe conicalsurface. 3.1.is a.lip;seal.o'r seal. 1

element 1310f. :a shaftsealifi fl which is jsimilar to the 10 shaft seal 1,8, 7 the shaft..-seal 3'4 ,beingnisposed in a bore,

35 in .an ,actuatorjfi andlbeings eate d against an;an'nulari shou1der .37 .at one end. of the. :bore .35.. .The, actuator 36', g

is axially'slidable in a bore 40 in a mounting member. 412:.

which togethergwithla rotatable adjustiiignrember 42,

- fonnja mQuntinglstructurefi' for the. actuator .36, the

latt r: being sealed. relative ito ithe zriounting member 41-.

by sealing elements. ;44 .and Q45. V

The adjusting member. 42 is keyed ftolthehrnounting seal, .will ;occur. Atthisf juncture, the [operator .merely.

rotates the adjusting member 42 sufficiently 'to .shiftflthe' lip seal33 towardlhe. right-,1 as. viewed :in' .Fig. 3 of the drawings, to bring the, lip. ,sealz; into .engagen1ent..with, tan unworn zone of the conical surface 31, I As thisjisdonai; the.,lip;seal; 33 is also brought into;engagernntjflitli.a zone .ofthe conicalsurfacev which is; of increasedgdiameter,

thereby automatically; compensating for weargof .the..1ip,.

seallitself at the sarneytime, which,is animpqrtant feature; As will be .apparent,-. he; lip: seal .133 may belbroughtinto a. successive ones of a'large number of possibleloperatinglfi positions on the conical: surface 31, therebygreatlyincreasing-the, usefullifefjof thashaft seal 34, whic'bis anlim: portantgfeaturerof J-heinventionkr: V i i As willbe aPParent, -when, the entire-conical. surface31....

is worn out, the ;collar 32 may be removedand anewmnegf substituted.tber.efor,- A150,. thelip .-s a1.. 3.3:.or thegentirei.

shafflseal ,34, ,niay be removed and replacedflby. another.

whenevernecessaryv" r r g Referring now 2 to- Fig. 14 of :the,. drawings,,illustratedf. g

thereinjis apurnphwhichis also ,gener ally.similarto the)? 7 pump of Fig; 1 of the drawings, identicalreference numerals. .being app1ied;..- 'In fig. of ,the,.drawings, the shaftll is provided (witha..collar or sleeve having .at .1. one end internal splines. which are .en gageable with, splines a 55 56 onthe shaft.. to prevent rotation 10f thesleeve relative to the shaft,, butto permitaxialfmovementof .the ;sleeye-: relative to the shaft. ..Th e sleeve .is reeessed.. at .on'eiendQ. to receiveanQ-ringfi? disposedin aniannular. groove, 58 inthe shaft, this O-ring preventingleakage between ,the

. shaft and.,the.sleeve.-.: .As will .beapparent,;.there.is no.

wear-of .the.;0ring 57 since here. is. nor l tive r t tion between the shaftllrand thesleeve 55...

The, sleeve 55 is retainedin any one-of a pluralityof vaxial; positions on'rthe haftI11.by means. ofha. snap .ring '59..Which mayubedispo ed. in anyone. ofa pluralitvpf aeae sen ber;;a;s1ee.v.e :on andislidablef axially of said: shaft; means ber,-.said:shaft.having;a: pluralityof :axiallvspacedzannm shaftj'io transmitwotation of .sa'id shaft, to saidrsleevera shaftzin anygoneaofafpluralitynf axially spaced positions" 4 p annular grooves 60 in the shaft. Thus, the sleeve 55 may, be shifted axially of the shaft 11 to bring unworn zones thereof into operation, as will be described in more detail hereinafter. 7 j I,

Secured to the housing 13 is a mounting or supporting member 63, for a sealing means, this mounting member having therein a recess 64'which receives two lip seals 65 separated byian annular spacer .66; Aiplug:. 67:.inserted'into the recess 64 retains the-lip seals 65 and, the spacer:66"'therein;the plug 67 being'suitably secured t'o the mountingmember 63.5 l 1 Considering the operation of the embodiment'of Fig-4 .of the drawings; it will be apparent.thatrwhenktherlip seals '65 have worn the sleeve 55. excessively, it is merely necessary to shiftthe sleev eiaxially to a new position to bring unw'orn zones thereof into operation, thesleeve being held in any one of'its possible positions by the snap ring;5 9.ailf desired, the sleeve-55 could be made-conical to zattainethe; advantages discu sed. in -connection-swithns thesembodiment of Fig...-3 of the drawings, ;the -.operatio being-similar.;except. that;:thejsleeve is axially; movable e.

insteadof the sealing-means. 7

' While.i havedisclosedexemplary embodimentslof the .1:

presentninvention; herein for purposes. of illustration it a: willrbe understood that. various .changesgaimodifications;n; andrsubstitutions, may- .be,;incorporated :in such. embodies mentsgwithou't departing from the. spirit of. the; invention 1':

as defined by the claims WhiChzfOllOWn Z .1 i

1; In ;combination:.;5,a.supportingimembemza shaftzext-zi tendinginto. and-rotatable relative to saidsuppp m for; .keyingreaid sleeve to said; shaft; to transmit-rotations; of rsaidashaft to same-sleeve; adjustable means-engaging said; sleeve andgengageable with: said shaft .in anyone to a plurality-10f axially-spaced positionsfonpreventing. move:- a merit ofsaidsleeve axiallygofqsaideshaft:inanyz one ofa apluralitysof-;axially.;spacedpositions cOf jsaidesleeveton said.ashaft;-..and :a; seal I carried :by said. supporting member andjncircling 'and'engagingsaid sleeve. I

2. ln zcombinationz .a supporting;memb.er;;a shaftsex tendinginto;.andzrotatablelrelative to said supportingzmemlarzgroovestherein; means :fOI; .keying 'lsaidsleeve .to said snap ring engaging saidpsleeve :and;disposed, .inioneeofs saidapluralitymf .axially.spacedxannularsgroovcs irtsaid V shaftto.;prevent:movement*0f said sleeve axially ofsaid :i

andaseals carried zbyisaidgsupporting .memben'andxncircling andiengagingsaid sleeve, saidseal engaging different annular azones.;.of said:s1eeve;:-when5said;snap ringzis in different; ones of said; plurality; ofaxiallyispaeed; annular; grooves in'said shatter; I V

References Cited thefile of patent UNITED; STATESYPATENTSQ f 2,052,108 Okner et al.- -i. Aug-25193.6 2,306,417 i Wiessnerq. Decay-1942:"

2,649,316? Beezleye; Aug-18 1-95 7 oneronxrmnursz; 475,094

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,836,441

Warren Doble he printed specification appears in t e said Letters It is hereby certified that error of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that th Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, line 22, for "slips" read," slip line 71, after "with" t the stop on the mounting member and into engagement with inser 2nd day of July 1958e Signed and sealed this 2 (SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Oificer 

